Bangor High School hockey team places six players on Eastern A All-Star teams

Bangor High School’s Justin Courtney (left) and Maranacook/Hall-Dale/Winthrop High School’s Dan Condon battle for the puck during a game on Feb. 26 in Bangor. Courtney has been named to the All-Eastern Maine Class A hockey’s first team.

Amber Waterman | Sun Journal | BDN

Amber Waterman | Sun Journal | BDN

Bangor’s Zach Papsadora (rear) reaches for the puck against St. Dominic’s Kyle Holtet during their game on March 2 in Lewiston. Papsadora has been named to the All-Eastern Maine Class A hockey’s first team.

BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor High School hockey team, which reached the Eastern Maine Class A final for the second time in school history this past season, has placed three players on the All-Eastern Maine Class A hockey’s first team and three more on the second team.

Bangor went 17-4 but lost to Lewiston in the EM final 5-1.

Senior Parker Sanderson, who became the school’s first-ever recipient of the Travis Roy Award, given to the state’s top senior; linemate and fellow senior Zach Papsadora and junior defenseman Justin Courtney were selected to the first team by the league’s coaches. Sophomore Jordan Tracy and senior Zeb Tuell, who are both forwards, and junior defenseman Galen Perry were the second-team selections.

Bangor coach Quinn Paradis said his players were deserving of their All-EM recognition.

The dynamic Sanderson racked up 22 goals and 24 assists in 17 games and had the game-winner in overtime in Bangor’s 3-2 win over St. Dominic of Auburn in the EM semifinals.

“He was a leader on and off the ice and controlled play in the offensive zone,” Paradis said, noting that Sanderson was also the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Papsadora had 13 goals and 12 assists in 18 games and provided the Rams with a power forward who was “one of our fastest skaters and he had one of the hardest shots on the team. And he was very aggressive.”

Courtney, according to Paradis, was a “solid, all-around defenseman. He was a hard worker and had a hard shot from the point. He had very good offensive skills. He kept his shots low so we could generate tip-ins and rebounds.”

Courtney had seven goals and six assists in 19 games.

Tracy earned his second-team berth by racking up 14 goals and 18 assists in 19 games.

Paradis said Tracy has a strong net-front presence and had a nose for the net.

“His down-low presence was huge. He was strong on the power play and on the penalty kill,” Paradis said.

Tuell, who had nine goals and nine assists on 20 games, was a “hard-nosed worker. He always worked hard and had a great attitude. He was also very good defensively,” Paradis said.

Perry, who had three assists in 17 assists, was a solid, defense-minded defenseman who was trusted to neutralize the other team’s top line.

“He made good decisions, was solid positionally and seldom turned the puck over,” Paradis said.

Joining Sanderson and Papsadora as first-team forwards were Kyle Lemelin and Matt Poulin from Lewiston High, Dan Condon and Matt Plourde from Maranacook/Hall-Dale/Winthrop, Kyle Holtet from St. Dom’s, Mat Brooks of Brunswick and Cony of Augusta’s Dallas Clark.

Chad Foye, who led his Cony High School team to an 11-4-3 regular season record before losing to No. 5 Brunswick 3-2 in double overtime in the quarterfinals, was selected as coach of the year and his team won the sportsmanship award.

Skowhegan, which won just one game in 2010-2011, capped a dramatic two-year turnaround by going 12-6-1 this season behind DesPres and Nelson.

DesPres led the team in assists with 12 and scored six goals while Nelson headlined the defense corps with his strong, efficient play and also contributed two goals and two assists.